On the evening of Saturday, March 4, the Friends of Rydell and Glacial Ridge Refuges Association will host the 5th Annual Candlelight Ski and Owl Prowl event at Rydell National Wildlife Refuge near Erskine, MN. The timing of this event will coincide with the breeding season of several local owl species and, hopefully, good snow conditions, clear skies, and moderate temperatures! The Rydell Visitor Center will be open throughout the event, which will run from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Refuge’s Golden Pond and Church Lake trails will be groomed and lighted for this event.
Visitors can ski, snowshoe, or even just walk the trails during this event. Even though luminaries will be distributed along these two trails, we recommend that visitors bring a headlamp if they have one. Along one of the groomed and lighted trails, an owl calling station will be set up where the calls of several owl species (e.g., saw-whet, barred, great horned) will be projected into the woods to try and generate a response from a resident owl. Who-who-who knows what you might hear! We will also have an owl education station set up inside the visitor center, where visitors can learn more about owls that call the Refuge home.
They will have several pairs of adult and child-size skis, as well as snowshoes, available for visitors to use – free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis. When warming up in the Visitor Center, participants will be able to enjoy snacks and refreshments courtesy of the Friends of Rydell and Glacial Ridge Refuges Association.
If you have questions or want more information, contact Gregg Knutsen, Refuge Manager, at 218-686-4329 or gregg_knutsen@fws.gov. If forecasted temperatures for March 4 are below zero or wind chills in the double digits below zero, the event will be canceled and potentially rescheduled at a later date.
